


Something Personal

by slukers



Series: The Inquisition [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, Romance, Storytelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 09:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1935444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slukers/pseuds/slukers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inquisitor Auraglor Cadash wants to learn more about her companion, Varric, but isn't sure how to get him to talk. </p><p>Check out the beautiful fanart by YodaCloud for this story. She is an amazing artist! http://yodacloud.deviantart.com/art/Varric-Aura-472163926</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Bioware owns all!

Auraglor Cadash loved camping. She wasn’t a fan of the bugs, or the smells, despite being a topsider. No, Aura loved the campfires. Every night when camping her companions would gather around the fire before bed. They would talk about their lives, both past and present, and she would learn more about them with each campfire they lit. 

But Aura was most interested in the story of one companion. The one companion that talked least about himself, yet most about others - Varric Tethras. 

After the other companions would head off to bed, Aura would sit alone with Varric. They would talk about her time in Ferelden, and his time in Kirkwall with Hawke, but he rarely spoke of a time before he met Hawke. For a while, Aura just assumed that there was a traumatic event in his life, one that kept him from talking until he got to know her better. After many months of fighting together, though, she wasn’t sure why he didn’t feel close enough to tell her. She had opened up fully to him, talking about her family, her rogue training, even her first love. Varric would smile and insert clever comments when she spoke, but he never offered his own story, and Aura desperately wanted to know why.

One evening, when the group was out in the wilderness near Redcliffe, Aura finally had enough. The two were the only ones left at the fire. Varric was telling a story about his friend Fenris and trying to convince him to phase through a wall to steal alcohol. Aura half-heartedly smiled, but didn’t reply. 

Varric moved over closer to Aura and smirked at her. “Why Inquisitor, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you had something else on your mind. That or you have forgotten humor, because that was a great story.” 

Aura shrugged. “It’s no big deal,” she said, then stopped. “No, actually, it is a big deal. Why don’t you ever talk about yourself to me? I hear lots of stories about Hawke and Fenris and Merrll’s past, but your stories all have gaps in time. I’ve told you everything about me, the good and the bad. I just thought we were closer than this.” She huffed and folded her arms as she finished her rant.

Varric’s smirk fell. He wanted to share more with her, he did, but had no idea where to even begin. He sighed and rubbed his neck. “Inquisitor, Aura, I like to tell stories about the heroes. I thought you knew that? Haven’t you heard me talk about you at the bars? I’m just the handsome side character, no one is interested in me.”

Aura looked back at him over her folded arms. He looked so sad, so unlike he usually did, and her heart broke. “Varric, I’m…” she trailed off, catching herself before admitting that she was interested in him. “I’m interested in hearing more about you.” There, caring but not enough to scare him off. 

Varric put his hands back on the log they sat on, one almost close enough to touch Aura. His body tensed, though his voice remained calm. “So, then, what would you like to know? I have a great story about taking down a group of mercenaries going after Anders - caught them trying to sneak into his clinic when he was passed out.”

Aura held up her hands, “No, Varric. A real story, no bullshit. Tell me something personal.” 

Varric placed his hands behind his head and leaned back. 

Aura continued, “Maybe tell me how you got Bianca. She seems important to you.”

Varric tensed again, but this time he didn’t try to hide it. Aura grimaced, she dug too deep too fast. There was definitely something painful in that memory. 

Aura was about to apologize, but shouts came from outside the camp. Aura sprang up, drawing her daggers. Varric heard the shouts, too, and picked up Bianca before quietly walking to the edge of camp. The shouts grew louder, and Aura tiptoed to Cassandra and Solas’s tents to wake them up. Before she made it to the tents, however, another shout rang out in her ears. 

“Varric!” She yelled, spinning around and rushing towards him. A large qunari had knocked him to the ground and was holding his neck. The qunari looked up at Aura. “You, dwarf woman, give us your money and the man lives.” 

Aura was pissed now, but she was a good actor. “Of course, sir, take all I have.” She tossed him a small bag from her hip. The qunari let go of Varric’s neck and grabbed the bag as it reached him, but the bag exploded on impact with his hand and smoke seeped out across the field. 

Cassandra and Solas ran out of their tents at the sound of the commotion. The camp was covered in smoke and the sounds of multiple qunari could be heard fighting and running. Everyone fought the qunari they could see closest to them, but there would be no telling how many were near until the smoke cleared. 

A few minutes passed before Aura was able to see Varric, again. The smoke only barely lingered, but the fire had also gone out during the fight. Aura looked around frantically to see Varric buried half-under a fallen qunari. A dagger stuck out of the enemy’s neck, and Aura was suddenly very glad she had bought new, stronger daggers for the whole team to keep on them, just in case. Varric was struggling to push the large body off him. Cassandra and Aura helped him while Solas check on the firepit and put up new wards. 

One the body was off of Varric, Aura dropped to her knees to check him for injuries. He coughed and then laughed as he sat up, slightly cringing at the pain. “Don’t worry, this wasn’t my first qunari dog-pile. Takes more than one to keep me down. I should tell you about...” 

Cassandra cleared her throat, drawing the attention of both Aura and Varric, and interrupting his story. “Varric,” she said, “I’m afraid that battle did more damage than it seemed.” 

They all looked over to see Bianca smashed to pieces on the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inquisitor Cadash and Varric get a chance to talk.

Days passed. 

No one was quite sure what to say to Varric. The group had returned to the keep the morning after the attack, but Varric hadn’t left his room since they returned. On the sedon morning, Aura found the pieces of Bianca in a box outside the keep. It seemed like Varric had put the pieces out as rubbish. Aura frowned, but picked up the box and brought it to her suite, where she placed the pieces in her chest. She would find a way to fix his crossbow, she was sure of it.

Of course, things weren’t that easy. After calling in various master craftsman, she learned that no one even knew how to make a crossbow as intricate as Bianca, much less fix her now that she was broken. 

Cassandra and Solas had offered their support in trying to fix the crossbow, but know one was really sure what to do about the situation. The rest of the Inquisition carried on with their duties, unsure of the haze of sadness that seemed to cover the returning party. 

A week after they returned, Aura sat in front of the fireplace in the great hall and thought about what to do with Bianca’s pieces. Aura was the last one awake, and while the occasional guard would pass by the doorway, everyone else had retired to their suites.

Or so Aura thought…

A pair of boots crossed the hall towards Aura, and she turned to see who was still awake. Varric strolled towards her. “Inquisitor, didn’t anyone tell you to sleep at night?” He grinned at her, as if nothing happened. 

She sighed, unsure of how to respond to Varric now that he was without Bianca. “You know what, they didn’t. Good thing I have you here to tell me.” Her voice attempted to match his light-heartedness, but faltered.

Varric lingered near the back of Aura’s chair before heading to the arm-chair across from her. He rested one leg over the other, his right ankle sitting on his left thigh, and leaned back in the chair. His eyes focused on the fire as the pair sat in silence. 

Aura was the first to speak. “Varric, I’m sorry I pushed so hard the other night. You’re a dear friend and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. And I really don’t know what to talk about now. I wish we could have saved Bianca, and…”

Varric leaned forward, reaching out a hand to Aura. “Hey, how about I tell you that story now?” 

Aura gaped at Varric. “Now? You want to talk about it?”

Varric pulled his hand back to himself. “Sure, I like a good story now and again, or haven’t you noticed?” He cocked his eyebrow at her.

Aura sucked in a breath and closed her mouth. “Okay, I guess? If you’re sure.” 

Varric chuckled and leaned back, again. “Inquisitor, I haven’t been more sure.”

__________

“I was a young lad, barely 20 and full of life. Obviously, a quite handsome 20-year old mind you. All the topside dwarves wanted me. I have money, power, and the dashing good looks that we already discussed. But I only had eyes for one woman, Bianca.” 

Varric paused and glanced over at Aura. She was looking at the fire, and not at him.

He continued. “The problem was, Bianca only had eyes for money. Sure, she said she loved me, and we got along fine, but she was always wandering off on quests for glory and treasure. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like treasure, but I also like a good pint in a pub now and again. No matter how much treasure we accumulated though, Bianca wasn’t satisfied. Eventually, she stopped inviting me on her trips. Apparently, I complained too much and played too many cards with the hired help instead of digging. Hah, like I want to dig in the ground. I’m a topsider for a reason, you know?” 

Aura laughed a bit, but kept her eyes averted from his. 

“Anyway, Bianca was gone for longer and longer periods. She was a craftswoman, so I encouraged her to stay home and make use of the pieces she was finding, but to no avail. Eventually, her greed caught up with her. One day, after being gone for a few weeks, Bianca rushed into the house, locking doors and windows behind her, turning off the lights, and dragging me to the basement. She had pissed off the Carta, she said, and needed protection. I tried to calm her down, as protection of loved ones is kinda my thing, but she couldn’t be consoled. She stayed up all night tinkering and working in her shop. I was glad she finally decided to use the shop we made, but I was also tired. I fell asleep on the cot as she worked. When I woke up, Bianca was standing over me holding the most magnificent crossbow. She had developed new mechanisms that allowed for a repeating bolt, something she had only discussed in passing before. It was amazing. I tried to talk to her about blueprints and plans to sell the damn idea and make up the money she owed the Carta, but, again, she wouldn’t listen. She picked that thing up and rushed out the door.” 

Varric stood up now, he crossed over to the fireplace and leaned on the mantle, staring into the fire. “She left, and I didn’t follow her. I was mad, you see, she had just come home and then ran off again, even after I offered my help. She didn’t return after a few hours, so I put on my jacket and boots and decided to go after her, whether she wanted me to or not.” He paused and cleared his throat. “I was too late… the Carta had already found her. There Bianca was, bruised and bloodied by the door. It was dark out, so I guess no one had seen her to help, but I should have been there to help. She died there, in my arms. I found a note attached to her crossbow, it just said, ‘nice try.’”

Aura looked up at Varric now. Tears fought at her eyes. There was tragedy in her past, far more than she expected. 

Varric pushed himself off of the mantle. “I couldn’t save her, but I could save the crossbow. I named her Bianca, and swore to protect it, since I couldn’t protect her. We’ve been through a lot, the crossbow and I, and every time she gets hurt, I was able to put her back together. I felt like, as long as I could keep this last part of Bianca working, I wasn’t letting her down.”

Aura stood up and crossed to Varric. His back was to her, but she offered a hand on his shoulder. “Varric… I…”

Varric turned to her now, taking her hand. “No, let me finish.”

Aura nodded.

Varric looked down. “I’ve held onto that crossbow for 11 years. At first it was to remember Bianca, but it became something more. It became a way for me to hide from the world, from family, friends, and potential lovers. I hid so that I didn’t have to experience that kind of loss again. Sure, I had friends, but no one could get between me and Bianca, she was first in my life.”

Aura nodded again and rubbed Varric’s arm. 

He looked up now. “Until a few months ago. When I met you, my whole life changed. I left Kirkwall for the first time, I fought demons practically daily, and I talked almost nightly with you. I learned so much about you and I wanted to know more about you, and I wanted to share more about myself. Every night I would come up with a great story to tell you, only to find myself falling back on old stories and trying to hide behind Bianca, because I was afraid.”

Aura met his eyes. “You were afraid?”

Varric chuckled and reached out for her other hand. “If you tell anyone I’ll deny it.” He rubbed her hand and winked. “I was. I felt as though I was doing something wrong, falling for you. But when those qunari broke in our camp, and threw me to the ground, I wasn’t worried about my crossbow, I was worried about you.”

Aura’s eyes widened at his admission. 

Varric reached up to cradle her cheek. “Then when Bianca broke, I realized, I don’t need to feel guilty, anymore. I need to move on.”

Tears streamed down Aura’s cheeks. She placed her forehead against Varric’s. “Are you sure?” She asked.

“I told you sweetheart, I’ve never been more sure.” He kissed her then, softly. “And you wanted to know something personal?I love you, Aura. I have since I first met you, and I want you to know that I am ready, if you are.”

Aura nodded and wrapped her arms around Varric’s neck. She kissed him deeply, savoring the feel of his lips on hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and the stood there, lost in each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note: Thanks for reading! I hope you guys are enjoying this. I will put up the last chapter soon, but I think you can stop there if you really want. The last chapter is mostly fluff (my favorite)! 
> 
> Remember, Bioware owns this IP. 
> 
> Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note: Hi everyone! I hope that you have been enjoying this story. Here’s the last chapter. It’s pretty corny, but I’m a corny person :D. Bioware owns all!

Morning came. Sunlight peeked through the curtains, waking Varric. He yawned and stretched, feeling the warmth of Aura Cadash next to him. He smiled. It had been a very long time since he felt the comfort of waking up next to someone he loved. 

Trying not to wake her, Varric crawled out of bed and tiptoed to his pile of clothing. 

“You used to be a better sneak.” Aura called out from the bed with a grin. 

He turned towards her. “Inquisitor, you wound me! Maybe I just wanted you to wake up and see me.” He crossed back over to her to place a soft kiss on her lips. 

She returned his kiss with a grin. “Good try, but we have a lot to do today, and I need you on your A-game.” She winked before swatting him away. 

Varric bowed, “Of course Inquisitor, whatever you desire…” He lingered on the last word and Aura through a shirt at him. Varric laughed and began picking up his clothing. “Well, Aura, if we’re being very official today, you’ll need to wear something better than these rags.” He tossed the shirt over a chair and leaned down over the chest at the foot of her bed. “How about…” he started as he dug through the clothes, then stopped. 

Aura shot up out of bed. “By the stone, Varric! You aren’t supposed to be in there!” 

Varric looked over the lid at her. “Umm, Aura, what is Bianca doing in your chest?”

Aura flushed. “I, uh, I saw you threw her out, and I… well, I didn’t want you to regret getting rid of it, so I tried to get her fixed. Apparently, no one could fix it, so I was trying to decide what to do.”

Varric put the lid of the chest down and stood in front of Aura. “You didn’t have to do that… though it does sound like something you would do.” He kissed her cheek. “It’ll make for a fine addition to my latest story about you.” 

Aura sighed, “Well, it would be a better story if I could’ve fixed it. That crossbow has meant a lot to you over the last few years, and I want you to be able to hold onto a least a little bit of your past. It makes you who you are…. and I like who are!” Aura was getting exasperated. “At best, we could use the pieces for something else, but I don’t think that’s good enough.”

Varric smirked, “Actually, I think you might be onto something.”

______________

Varric placed the pieces of Bianca on the table as Aura spoke with Master Herrin. Herrin smiled and went through the pieces of Bianca and the pile of crafting materials that Aura had left. She went to speak with Herrin’s assistant about pay while Varric lingered. He dropped two runes onto the pile and winked at Master Herrin before joining Aura.

They returned a week later to pick up the order. Two finely crafted daggers waited on them, but they looked different than the schematics that Aura had left. She looked quizzically at Varric as he grinned and tested out his new weapons. 

“Varric, I don’t understand, why are you so happy? These are different than what I ordered.”

Varric admired the dagger and held it out for Aura. “Inquisitor, you didn’t notice? Your schematics were missing one thing.” 

Aura just stared at the dagger. “There’s the wood from Bianca - your past, and the dragon bones, your present, but what are these runes on the hilt?” 

Varric turned the dagger so that Aura could read it. “It’s called Auraglor- a water rune, Inquisitor.” Aura’s eyes met Varric’s as he spoke. “You remembered my past and present, but the schematics were missing the last piece - my future.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note: I hope you guys enjoyed this little short-fic. It has been fun to write! Please comment below, and don’t hesitate to give suggestions for future stories. Thanks for reading!


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